Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square always has good
bills on Monday nights. The club is problematical because basically about 6
people can see the band clearly but everybody else are behind them...and it
gets seven or eight rows deep...so the chance of actually seeing the band is
not good.

We're thinking of going there more though, because the Middle East
has stopped having rock shows that interest us, for the most part. TT
the Bears used to be good for shows all week but now, as Sonia,
they have lots of non-rock and especially non-punk bands in there.

We arrived to a trio called Sneeze beginning their set. They
sounded messy at the beginning, but about half way through the set things got
better. Either we got into it more or they warmed up and got a bit tighter.
The sound was a grungy wash, but rocking hard and that always wins us over.

The guitarist seemed to have some unusual fingering going on with lots of open
strings. Listening to them on
Bandcamp helps to see what they were doing a bit more.

Nice Guys
Photo: Blowfish

Then it was Nice Guys. This band has fans that have stuck
with them through the years as they change their sound. When we saw them in
Feb
of 2016 they were a raw and loose garage band with one minute songs. They
could barely keep things together – but it was fun. By the time we saw
them in January
of 2018 their music style had changed, they had Led Zepplen style big riffs
going on and a unified band attack.

At Charlie’s Kitchen we could hear the next chapter. Now they were super
tight and playing an angular art rock. This music showed lots of discipline
and practice. Some of the two guitar interplay was heading for Captain Beefheart
territory. At other times The Maps came to mind also.

We don’t see that they have much music online. It seems to us that this
batch of songs should get recorded. In any case this band is going their own
way and it’s very interesting.

Nice Guys are playing with Bad Sports at
O’Brien’s on April 4. That’s a recommended
show to hit!!

Lennie - Stop Calling Me Frank
Photo: Blowfish

Thanks to the generosity of Stop Calling Me Frank we found
ourselves at the Dropkick Murphys' show at the House of Blues
on Thursday with SCMF as openers. It started with a 40 minute
wait in a line that was long in front of us but way longer behind us. Then it
was a TSA worthy security check point and finally into the club.

People were streaming in quickly. SCMF was on at 7pm and by
the time the set was over the place was filled. We equate SCMF with the small
clubs so to see them on the HOB stage was a novelty. We talked to Lennie
and Dan beforehand and they seemed very calm. On stage they
did the same set they would do at Midway and it worked on the big stage. They
began with “Gimme Life”. That has the band’s blue collar ideals
up front and those are the same as the Dropkick Murphy fans. They got a good
reception on that and you knew all would be well.

You could hear every instrument and in perfect balance. There was zero distortion
and the instruments sounded natural. The sax sounded the best of all. (it made
us think of Clarence Clements’ tone). What a sound system! So, that’s
what they can do.

SCMF had the perfect songs for the night. They were half serious, half funny
and then the drinking songs. They had the perfect songs for being an
opener. Some songs were: “Drinking After Work, “My Baby
Is an Axe Murder from the State of Wisconsin” , “Rockin’
and Rollin’”, and “Whiskey in the Jar”.

Stop Calling Me Frank
Photo: Blowfish

When they got to their last song “Whale Baby” the crowd was with
them all the way and we could hear them doing the whale bellowing along with
the band. What a great moment that was. We felt so happy for the band.

The Interrupters
Photo: Blowfish

The middle band was The Interrupters from LA. They were a
ska band. Some groups use ska for a song or two for variety that not The Interrupters,
they are ska every minute. They play it super tight. They two guitarists are
in constant motion. The singer Aimee was moving and interacting with the audience
up front. The lyrics were about overcoming hardships and offering inspiration.
They kicked things up a level and the audience responded.
We were up front which
was alright but could tell that behind us the crowd was heading for mosh time.
Then as we got pushed around a bit we looked to our left as a crowd surfer
went
by next to us. We moved out of the stage area at that point. From the next floor
up we could see the middle of the floor moshing and skanking.

Dropkick Murphys
Photo: Blowfish

At 9pm the Dropkick Murphys started the show. There was dramatic
lighting for the solo bagpipe player. The first song is “The
Boys Are Back”. There's an elaborate light show, the band rushes on
stage, then four small Irish Dancers followed by more of the song, then additional
taller Irish dancers. The stage is packed and smoke joins the lights that never
stop winging all over the place. It’s sensory overload and very exciting.
Things continue in that vein. By this point we had been standing for 3 ½
hours, so we start heading out knowing that others here have been standing much
more than us and who knows how long the band will play.

Dropkick Murphys
Photo: Blowfish

We never had a look into one of these home stands and thank to SCMF for the
opportunity.

It was a real change of pace on Saturday at the Midway for a hardcore line
up and an added surprise- no cover.. We were looking to catch Neighborhood
Shit. The first band was Where
They Hide from Maine even though they were not listed on the bill we saw.

Where They Hide
Photo: Blowfish

They were totally grindcore complete with throat singing. The drumming was
a thunderous roll with some very fast stick action - impressive stuff. The guitarist
and bass were super-fast and precise. It’s funny how the overall effect
is a raging blur but dig down and it’s all built of an intricate structure.
We loved how all three were playing the same complicated rhythm. That made you
nod your head in conjunction.

The throat singing just sounds like argggggggggggghhhhhh but you knew there
was words in there you would love to hear. Sure enough the song
on Bandcamp has lyrics which sound like an internal monologue of some sort.

During the set there were a few moshers who were a indiscriminate on where
they did their karate chops and kicks. Standing in a usually protected place
wasn’t good enough and we ended moving further back. That was true for
the whole night.

Psychic Weight
Photo: Blowfish

Next up was Psychic Weight, a Boston band, and man
were they something. They were more straight up punk hardcore. The singer
took the floor in front of the stage and the band was flailing like
crazy on stage. Just visually alone you could tell they were serious
about the music. Then their frantic moves and intensity radiated a sense
of danger. Add in the moshers and you get the mix that scares off most
of the world and leaves the punks alone. The songs were short. "Whacking
Day" on their Bandcamp
page gives the lyrics. They come off as the rantings of a disjointed
paranoid that you can laugh at if you want.

The next band was not Neighborhood Shit. We figured
either we missed them if they went on first, or if they were going on after
the band their set would be way short. So, we split. The club was full as it
has been for months for these early shows.

Where They Hide
Photo: Blowfish

Miss Lyn with an editorial here: First off its a sad time when hardcore punk
bands look like freaking lumberjacks. What's up with all the heavy duty facial
hair?? Gross. But the REAL problem I want to complain about are the rotor-blading
arm-swinging and martial-arts-kicking to the face and chest assholes in the
audience who RUIN it for everyone else. I watched the audience, at many previous
shows, and this day at the Midway as the one idiot was doing his moves...everyone
is focused on where he is and when he might get too close INSTEAD of
enjoying the band. It's a childish selfish act and nothing more. Act like grown
men and if you need that much attention start your own band instead of stealing
from the people on stage.

More band photos below the show listings.

John Keegan went to the City Winery this week where he saw The Flesh Eaters. The band name has always served to hide the celebs that make up the band.
It's John Doe from X and Dave Allen from
The Blasters and then Chris D. John gives a review of the night and there are the usual photos. Hit the photo below to go to the review.

And in other news.....

The NY Public Library now has the Lou Reed Archives. They
have issued a limited edition Lou Reed library card too. We reported that Cornell
had a Richard Hell archive a few weeks ago. The idea of the main stream facilities
accepting punk material is very encouraging. The reality of a Boston Punk archive
is non-existent but very much needed. Here's a write up about it on Brooklyn
Vegan.

There's an interesting looking film out called Room
37- The Mysterious Death of Johnny Thunders directed by Ther Cordero Borhters.
It's premiering in the UK and we hope it comes over here soon. It willbe interesting
to see their take on his death. Lots of people have theories.

Here’s a short
video on the Phil In Phlash show at the Midway Gallery
last week. It shows some pieces and has some comments by Gallery East's Duane
Lucia and Jae Johnson.

Peter’s MOB bandmate Roger Miller also has a Kickstarter.
Roger has an exciting project involving an installation in the Brattleboro VT
museum. It’s called Transmuting the Prosaic: Film, Conceptual Art,
and Music. He will also be artist in residence there for three nights.
There’s a lot to this so check out Roger’s
Kickstarter page

Here's some good shows coming up this week.....

March 20 (Wednesday) Brian Young
of WMFO and his band The Thigh Scrapers
will be on the Heavy Leather Topless Dance Party Brian should
LUV that!!!

March 30 (Saturday) A Jumping Jack Flash,
The Rat, Storyville, Mess-Around with Jerry Lehane and
Peter O'Halloran from The Dogmatics joined by James
Young, Dave Barton and his new band Blame The Whiskey,
and Lee Harrington of The Neighborhoods along
weith Tom Baker and Jay Allen. At The Plough
4-6PM

April 20 (Saturday) A Crash Course
For The Ravers show streams to everyone LIVE Saturdays 1pm to 4pm at
and transmits
on WMFO 91.5FM Medford. This week we have The Hi-End in to chat, spin tunes,
we'll see what else.

April 20 (Saturday) Brave Hands,
Notches, Tied to a Bear, The Furniture at O'Brien's

April 20 (Saturday) Junkyard, Derailer,
The Hi-End, Demons Alley at Koto in Salem.

We bring you into the Rat Room at the Hotel Commonwealth.
Jimmy Harlold invited a group of scene veterans. It was a Rat reuion
with lots of stories exchanged. Get to see the room and the people.........

It appeared before us like a chimera and it's
still growing...it's the Pipeline 25th Anniversary celebration.
We interview mastermind Bob Dubrow about his background and
search for what motivates him as well as Pipeline history and
the show....

The Boston punk community comes out for a good cause.
Neighborhoods, Upper Crust, Dents, Dogmatics, Roy Sludge Trio, Ed
Moose Savage, Downbeat 5 and Classic Ruins raise some money and
rock the house at......

Thank god for 110 Instamatics or we wouldn't have a lot of our early Boston punk photos. Kathy Flynn used hers to get some pics of the Rat and The Club and she sent them to us to share with you..........

One of the interesting things in the early days of Boston punk was seeing the attention grow around us. One watershed moment was when we heard that a Time Magazine reporter was going to visit the Rat. We didn't like the resulting article. But you can decide. Take a look at the ....
...

Punk started 25 years ago. Did any of us think we would ever make it this far? Probably not, that was punk; nihilistic, "no future!". Here is a place to remember, and give a moment of thought to, those who didn't make it
this far...

The minute she hit the scene she was every male punk's heart throb. She was beautiful. She had a winning personality. She had a ...well...a...glow. That could be my heart talking because I, Blowfish, confess: I too am Judy's love slave. We didn't just love Judy, we worshiped her. So, now all of us members of Judyism have somewhere to meet and offer our prayers of unrequited love.